Next State of Learning

We live at a moment in history when the world is dramatically changing.

Unlike past generations, today’s young people face a future that is highly fluid and unknown -- when the time between asking a question and finding the answer is almost instantaneous; and when the mark of a successful school is less about the knowledge you put into your students, and more about the wisdom you are able to pull out.

Given this, in what ways do the structures and aims of education need to shift? Which of our previous practices and programs must we hold onto -- to anchor us in the work ahead? And which habits and hallowed traditions will we need to let go of — so that something new and improved can have the space, naturally and with “urgent patience,” to come into being?

Next State of Learning shares the stories of how some innovative states have begun to answer that question -- at scale.

Next State of Learning is a Project of the Innovation Lab Network at CCSSO

The Innovation Lab Network (ILN) is a group of states taking action to identify, test, and implement student-centered approaches to learning that will transform our public education system. The goal of the ILN is to spur system-level change by scaling locally-led innovation to widespread implementation, both within and across states, with a constant focus on student outcomes.

Current states in the ILN include California, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Schools and districts within these states act as pressure-testers of new and innovative ways to address the needs of their students, with backing and support from their state departments of education. In the context of the ILN, CCSSO acts as a centralizing entity that facilitates collaboration and communication among ILN states, and provides leadership as states move forward with their innovative efforts. The Next State of Learning is our effort to capture the stories of how states in the ILN are scaling and sharing innovation within their districts.

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In the months ahead, we'll be paying close attention to the work of different states and their efforts to reimagine public education. Want us to keep you posted about what we discover? Share your email here.